54 PRODUCT SECTION
A GLASS ACT
Baltimore Wharf, a landmark development in London’s Docklands, required balustrades that were stylish as well as affordable. Housebuilder & Developer reports on the successful results.
Around 7.5 per cent of all properties on the market now feature a balcony of some kind, along with 11 per cent of new proper- ties in urban areas, with glass balustrading the favourite choice of enclosure. Systems can range from fully frameless balustrades using laminated structural glass to steel posted systems. The frameless styles are both more desirable and more expensive, requiring thicker laminated glass, with fixings often recessed into the floor. Their weight and difficulty of instal- lation often leads to compromise, including the use of steel posted systems featuring multiple posts, lugs or clamps. While these can often be attractive and functional, ar- chitects and buyers lean heavily towards the more minimalist, frameless style that does not inhibit the view.
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An innovative engineering design, developed for the landmark Baltimore Wharf development in London’s Dock- lands, aimed to satisfy these aesthetic de- mands at a cost comparable with the cheaper options.
THE DEVELOPMENT
Designed by architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Inc, Baltimore Wharf is a £150m mixed use development on the-
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buildings and the £3m budget. The architects originally wanted struc- tural glass balustrades to sit on top of the
lass balconies, once the prerogative of high-end hotels, have become a popular choice for developers.
former site of the London Arena, compris- ing private and affordable housing, retail, leisure and community facilities built by international developer, Ballymore Group. Phase One of the development comprised more than 600 apartments in five separate residential blocks.
As a key architectural feature of the buildings’ external facades, the design and installation of external balconies required a considered approach. Working closely with the architect and developer, the balustrading suppliers were asked to develop a bespoke solution to suit the exacting requirements of the multi-storey
THE ARCHITECTS WERE OFFERED A BRAND NEW DESIGN, USING A SLIM ALUMINIUM HANDRAIL WITH NO UPRIGHT POSTS AND ENABLING THE USE OF THINNER, LIGHTER GLASS
building’s 377 steel balcony structures. As an alternative proposal, they were offered a brand new design of balustrading, using a slim aluminium handrail with no upright posts and enabling the use of thinner and lighter glass. The new design allowed the developers to achieve a similar aesthetic effect at a substantially lower cost. Not only are these clear glass balconies now a striking feature of the project, they also saved £500,000 on the original design. The new balustrading system, chris-
tened ‘Hybrid’ by Surrey-based manufac- turer Balconette, is built around complex internal geometry hidden within the handrail itself. For the balconies on the Baltimore Wharf development, it removed the need for any upright supporting pillars while still providing all the required strength and support and meeting all rele- vant Building Regulations. Satisfying the architect’s original balcony design criteria – to present a perfectly flat front fascia to seamlessly fit the main steel and the glazing track – was funda- mentally important. The new anodised aluminium handrail was finished in Royal Chrome to look like shiny stainless steel, with a matching lower track extrusion allowed for relatively simple fitting to the main steelwork. Structural stability was achieved by anchoring the ends of the handrail directly to window
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